Karl Anderson Reveals What Led to AJ Styles Retirement Decision
A recent episode of the Talk N Shop podcast featured co-host Karl Anderson giving this thoughts about him making a special appearance at this past Monday’s WWE RAW show in Atlanta, Georgia for WWE’s tribute to AJ Styles celebrations. Anderson also gave his thoughts about Styles told him backstage that neck issues were the reason for his decision to retire from wrestling.
“He said, ‘Dude, I have to. My neck is hurting too bad, I’m beat up, it’s time. I want to help the next generation.’ And I go, ‘Well, I didn’t really believe it, so I just kept talking on my podcast about how you were not going to retire and you’re going to go here and you’re going to go there. And now I gotta eat a lot of crow, pal.'”
So ladies and gentlemen, fans of Talk’n Shop, it’s my esteemed honor to humbly apologize for giving anybody false hope that AJ Styles was not going to retire. Clearly, I was wrong. He shoot retired.”
Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com
Bronson Reed Provides Update on His Biceps Tear Injury
As noted before, “Big” Bronson Reed suffered a distal bicep tear injury during his Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Triple Threat match against Jey Uso and Original El Grande Americano at this past Monday’s WWE RAW show.
Reed provided an update on Wednesday on Twitter thanking everyone for all the support they have shown towards him and stated that he will be back better than ever in the future.
“Appreciate the kind words.
Ill be back better than ever, causing destruction like no one else can!”
Appreciate the kind words.
— BRONSON REED (@BRONSONISHERE) February 26, 2026
Ill be back better than ever, causing destruction like no one else can! pic.twitter.com/BGbu7DPYyY
Update on Lawsuit Against WWE Over Allegations of Theft of Intellectual Property Used By The Bloodline
As noted before, a lawsuit was filed by WCW Wrestling promoter Nathaniel Tatha-Nanandji against WWE, TKO Group, 2K Games, and other 2K companies this past December over allegations that WWE and 2K Games committed theft of intellectual property used by WWE’s The Bloodline faction.
PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that WWE and 2K Games recently filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against them by Tatha-Nanandji.
In the filing, WWE and 2K Games claimed that Tatha-Nanandji has “inadequately alleged facts to support each claim” of him claiming that he created a “posing sequence” that has been used by WWE talents. It was also claimed that Tatha-Nahandji has not alleged the defendants had access to any of the wrestling videos with the gestures in question and therefore he cannot establish that his work was indeed copied.
WWE and 2K Games also claimed that since there is no argument that there was underlying direct infringement, there’s no way a secondary infringement claim can stand up to scrutiny before the Court. It was also stated that Tatha-Nahandji’s “trade dress claim” under The Lanham Act is also flawed, since Tatha-Nahandji alleges that the sequence is a “narrative function” and “thus, an expressive work.”
It was also stated “To avoid violating the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a Lanham Act claim related to an expressive work can only be maintained if the alleged infringement has no artistic relevance to the defendants’ work, and it explicitly misleads as to the source or the content of the work by stating that the work is endorsed or affiliated with the plaintiff.” It was also stated that Tatha-Nahandji’s claim of “unauthorized exploitation” of his audiovisual material is also preempted “because the claim targets an audiovisual work that falls within the subject matter of copyright, and it seeks to prevent unauthorized reproduction which is one of the exclusive rights under copyright.”
WWE Files New Trademark for WWE EVOLVE Brand
WWE filed a new trademark for “WWE EVOLVE Succession” on February 24th for wrestling and entertainment-related purposes to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
This is the name used by WWE for their WWE EVOLVE brand specials on Tubi.
Portion of trademark filing:
“Production and exhibition of professional wrestling events rendered live and through broadcast media; providing wrestling news and information through broadcast media; providing information in the fields of professional wrestling through broadcast media; providing a website in the field of professional wrestling and sports information”
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